Table of Context
|
Theory |
Page Numbers |
|
Great Man |
3 |
|
Trait (Big 5) |
4-6 |
|
Skills Based Approach |
|
|
Behavioral Approach |
|
|
Leader Emergence |
|
|
Bases of Power |
|
|
Leadership and Influence |
|
|
Situational Theory |
|
|
Path-Goal Theory |
Great Man Theory
|
Scholars |
Thomas Carlyle, 1841 |
|
Vital Information Foundations, Arguments, Assumptions |
Argument: Born vs Made · Hero worship · Godly power to shape the world Explanation: History is fundamentally shaped by the actions of extraordinary people. Historical progress is thought to be shaped by and the product of these leaders. The theory emphasizes individual agency over collective or systemic factors, suggesting that the essence of history lies in the influence of powerful/gifted people. |
|
Research: Reference list of some of the articles and publications related to this model/theory |
Mouton, 2019 De Hoogh et al., 2015 Spector, 2015 Marturano, 2024 Bass, 2008 Jango, 1982 |
|
Applications Examples |
Napoleon, George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mohandas Gandhi (considered within Great Man theory as one with the skills to be able to lead masses to revolutionize India). |
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Context Relates to other theories |
Great Man theory is a foundation for the other theories of leadership. It emphasizes that history is shaped by charismatic leaders. It differs from leadership theories that followed, like trait theory, which measures leadership traits, or behavioral theory, which assumes that leadership is a learned practice. |
|
Notes: Reflections etc. |
· Great Man theory assumes that great men make good plans and bad men make bad plans; thus, great men are those who lead (Mouton, 2019) · Great Man theory is based on the belief that some people have inherent power that allows them to shape history (Spector, 2015) · Can take several shapes: prophet, poet, priest, king (Marturano, 2024) · People were born with certain traits and that only great people possessed the traits to be leaders (Bass 2008 & Jango, 1982, as cited in Northhouse, P.G. 2021.) |
Trait Theory
|
Scholars |
Stogdill (1948) Kirkpatrick & Locke (1991) Lord, DeVader, & Alliger (1986) Mann (1959) Table taken from Northhouse, P.G. 2021: |
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Vital Information Foundations, Arguments, Assumptions |
Stogdill found traits that were positively associated with leadership: · Drive for responsibility and task completion · Vigor and persistence in pursuit of goals · Risk-taking and originality in problem-solving · Drive to exercise initiative in social situations · Willingness to accept consequences of decisions and actions · Readiness to absorb interpersonal stress · Willingness to tolerate frustration and delay · Ability to influence other people’s behavior · Capacity to structure social interaction systems to the purpose at hand Mann found six traits: · Masculinity · Intelligence · Adjustments · Dominance · Extraversion · Conservatism Table taken from Northhouse, P.G. 2021: |
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Research: Reference list of some of the articles and publications related to this model/theory |
Ribeiro et al., 2024 Wyatt & Silvester, 2018 |
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Applications Examples |
· Not everyone can have the Big 5 qualities. It is possible for people to display some of the qualities and not others. Some may be stronger than others. · Example: · Musk’s Big Five traits: He’s open to new ideas and takes big risks, like with SpaceX and Tesla. He’s also really disciplined and focused, though sometimes he takes projects that are too big/too many projects at one time. His extraversion is more hidden, like how he uses Twitter to share his ideas and get people behind him, more currently, his political roles and position within Trump’s government. It seems that his agreeableness is not the best. He is described as not easy to get along with. His neuroticism shows in how he handles stress but uses it to stay motivated. Openness seems to be the biggest factor contributing to his success because it leads him to create new ideas and take risks. |
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Context Relates to other theories |
· Because trait theory has roots in the idea that some people have leadership traits and some people do, it is linked to Great Man theory. · More research has been dedicated to trait theory than other theories. · Situational · Situational theory is related to trait theory in that both focus on leadership effectiveness, but they emphasize different factors. While trait theory asserts that certain inherent qualities or traits make someone a good leader, situational theory suggests that effective leadership depends on the situation or context, and the leader must adapt their style to the specific circumstances. |
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Notes: Reflections etc. |
· Trait theory posits that leadership is derived from innate and measurable traits that make one a good leader (Riberio et al., 2024) · A leader with specific leadership traits in one situation may not be a leader in another situation (Stogdill, 1948) · Effective leaders are distinct types of people (Kirkpatrick & Locke, 1991) · Failed to find a solid/definitive list of traits (Northhouse, P.G. 2021) |
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